Refusing to bend to the inside

[Splash2310]

Rode a pony today who was really fighting me when I asked him to bend to the inside.

It felt slightly like he was locking his neck on the left rein, and he put up quite a strong fight! I’ve finally cracked getting my boy working nicely into a contact so this was a challenge when he didn’t particularly respond to the exercises I normally use.

Does anyone have any go-to bending exercises which I can recommend to his owner that might help him become more supple on the left rein?

 

[Michen]

I have a youngster who struggles to the left. I find making sure he’s actually moving off my left leg (yielding) and some shoulder fore helpful.

Even just in a straight line asking him to give/flex slightly with a left contact as well.

All out hacking though, no school work

 

[Splash2310]

That’s interesting - thanks for the feedback! I didn’t ask for a leg yield (now wish I had but it was only a 10 min sit!), from what his owner said I think he can be quite resistant in it to the left.

In that vain I also suggested maybe introducing turn on the forehands - as far as I’m aware they haven’t done these before and for a pony who’s quite experienced in rein back it might be a different way to engage his hind leg?

Does your youngster ever particularly fight when you ask for the flex to the left on the straight? If so what do you do?

 

[Red-1]

Is the horse not yielding to the bit, or not bending through the body? As the two would have different causes and remedies.

 

[planete]

I had this problem with my pony. He actually was quite sore on his right hand side. After treatment and daily stretching exercises he is now improving. I would start with a physical check before remedial schooling.

 

[Sprat]

Agree with planete, my first call would be a quick check over. Possibly some tight muscles or an ill fitting saddle, best to get this checked before doing too much re-schooling wise or you could exacerbate a problem

 

[sbloom]

That much asymmetry needs to be seen by a bodyworker first and possibly saddle fitter second, especially if the bodyworker causes beneficial change in the horse. If a horse is rotated through its ribcage then it can't bend one way (and there are other reasons and root causes of the rotation, but you can usually see this one clearly).

 

[paddi22]

yeah it would be best to get the overall pic of what is going on before potentially forcing the horse to do bending it can't manage. I always feel sorry for horses when people use language like 'fighting' and 'refusing' to bend. it's more beneficial to try and analyse why the horse is doing it and where the issue is. there could be any number of reasons why the horse doesn't bend (teeth, saddle flocking catching, arthritis in neck/hocks, bit pinching, pelvis issue, rib issue) so the worse thing to do would be for the owner to just pull and pull away forcing the horse into a false bend that is damaging. even without horse issues you could have the rider being stronger on one side and causing a misalignment that the horse just is locked into, and without fixing that issue then it won't get solved.

if neither party know exactly what is causing the issue then it would be good to get a physio or good dressage instructor in to analyse what's going on. because if no-one knows exactly what the issue is then it won't get fixed.

 

[Michen]

That’s interesting - thanks for the feedback! I didn’t ask for a leg yield (now wish I had but it was only a 10 min sit!), from what his owner said I think he can be quite resistant in it to the left.

In that vain I also suggested maybe introducing turn on the forehands - as far as I’m aware they haven’t done these before and for a pony who’s quite experienced in rein back it might be a different way to engage his hind leg?

Does your youngster ever particularly fight when you ask for the flex to the left on the straight? If so what do you do?

No he doesn’t fight. He’s just less flexible, like most horses he has a preferred side but he is a more complex case though as he has had a very mild right hind lameness (now treated), and needed a new saddle (took 3 fitters to agree with me there was an issue as the first two said it was fine) and he has regular physio. Like others have said you want to rule these things out first.

I find he only improves throughout the hack, but if he wasn’t or was getting more and more resistant then I think I’d be referring back to the vet again. I also think it’s much more beneficial to strengthen him out of the school and build up.

This is also a young horse, you don’t say how old the pony is but if he’s of a decent age and has been like this the entire time I think you definitely Want to get all the checks done ASAP.